Speech training method with color instruction

• US 20030182111A1
• Filed: 01/09/2003
• Published: 09/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lessac Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Lessac Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Lessac, Michael, Wilson, H. Donald, Marple, Gary, Handal, Anthony H.
• Granted Patent: US 6,963,841 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/231
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/04 Speaking with audible presentation of the material to be studied G09B5/04
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/04 with audible presentation of the material to be studied sound recording or reproducing G11B

Abstract

In accordance with a present invention speech training system is disclosed. It uses a microphone to receive audible sounds input by a user into a first computing device having a program with a database consisting of (i) digital representations of known audible sounds and associated alphanumeric representations of the known audible sounds, and (ii) digital representations of known audible sounds corresponding to mispronunciations resulting from known classes of mispronounced words and phrases. The method is performed by receiving the audible sounds in the form of the electrical output of the microphone. A particular audible sound to be recognized is converted into a digital representation of the audible sound. The digital representation of the particular audible sound is then compared to the digital representations of the known audible sounds to determine which of those known audible sounds is most likely to be the particular audible sound being compared to the sounds in the database. In response to a determination of error corresponding to a known type or instance of mispronunciation, the system presents an interactive training program from the computer to the user to enable the user to correct such mispronunciation.

Claims

1. A method of speech training using a microphone to receive audible sounds input by a user into a computing device coupled to said microphone, said computing device having a program with a database comprising (i) digital representations of known audible sounds corresponding to proper pronunciations of words and phrases and associated alphanumeric representations of said known audible sounds corresponding to proper pronunciations of words and phrases, and (ii) digital representations of known audible sounds corresponding to mispronunciations associated with known mispronounced words and phrases, comprising the steps of:

(a) presenting a training text to a user for reading into a microphone to send audible sounds in the form of an [the] electrical output to [the] said computing device;

(b) converting a particular audible sound into a digital representation of said audible sound;

(c) comparing said digital representation of said particular audible sound to said digital representations of said known audible sounds to determine which of said known audible sounds is most likely to be the particular audible sound being compared to the sounds in said database;

(d) outputting as a speech recognition output the alphanumeric representations associated with said audible sound most likely to be said particular audible sound;

(e) receiving an error indication from the computing device indicating that there is an error in pronunciation;

(f) determining whether said error is a result of a known type or instance of mispronunciation; and

(g) in response to a determination of error corresponding to a known type or instance of mispronunciation, presenting an interactive training program from said computer to said user to enable said user to correct such mispronunciation, wherein said interactive program instructs the user using Lessac System techniques.

2. A method speech training as in claim 1, wherein said interactive training program comprises playback of the properly pronounced sound from a database of recorded sounds corresponding to proper pronunciations of said mispronunciations resulting from said known classes of mispronounced words and phrases.

3. A method of speech training as in claim 2, wherein the user is given the option of receiving speech training or training the program to recognize the user'"'"'s speech pattern.

4. A method of speech training as in claim 3, wherein said determination of whether said error is a result of a known type or instance of mispronunciation is performed by comparing the mispronunciation to said digital representations of known audible sounds corresponding to mispronunciations resulting from known classes of mispronounced words and phrases using a speech recognition engine.

5. A method of speech training as in claim 1, wherein the user is given the option of receiving speech training or training the program to recognize the user'"'"'s speech pattern.

6. A method of speech training as in claim 1, wherein said determination of whether said error is a result of a known type or instance of mispronunciation is performed by comparing the mispronunciation to said digital representations of known audible sounds corresponding to mispronunciations resulting from known classes of mispronounced words and phrases using a speech recognition engine.

7. A method of speech training as in claim 1, wherein said database consisting of (i) digital representations of known audible sounds and associated alphanumeric representations of said known audible sounds and (ii) digital representations of known audible sounds corresponding to mispronunciations, is generated by the steps of having a person, who normally speaks said known audible sounds properly, speak said known audible sounds, and digitizing said known audible sounds spoken by said person who properly speaks said known audible sounds and having a person who usually speaks said known audible sounds corresponding to mispronunciations and digitizing said known audible sounds spoken by said person who usually speaks said known audible sounds corresponding to mispronunciations.

8. A method of speech training as in claim 7, wherein said database has been introduced into said computing device after said generation by speaking and digitizing has been done on another computing device and transferred together with voice recognition and error correcting subroutines to first computing device.

9. A method of speech training as in claim 1, wherein said interactive program instructs the user in the correct pronunciation of said sound in terms of the sound of a musical instrument.

10. A method of speech training as in claim 1, wherein said user is presented with an interactive training program in response to the detection of repeated instances or a reliable single instance or pronunciation errors.

11. A method of speech training as in claim 1, wherein said user is presented with an interactive training program including training with different Lessac energies.

12. A method of speech training as in claim 1, wherein said user is presented with an interactive training program in response to the detection of repeated instances or a reliable single instance or pronunciation errors.

13. A method of speech training as in claim 1, wherein said database further comprises (iii) digital representations of known audible sounds corresponding to proper pronunciations of words and phrases with various colors, such as various Lessac energies, and associated alphanumeric representations of said known audible sounds corresponding to proper pronunciations of words and phrases.

14. A method of speech training using a microphone to receive audible sounds input by a user into a computing device coupled to said microphone, said computing device having a program with a database comprising (i) digital representations of known audible sounds corresponding to proper pronunciations of phonemes and associated alphanumeric representations of said known audible sounds corresponding to proper pronunciations of phonemes, and (ii) digital representations of known audible sounds corresponding to mispronunciations associated with known mispronounced phonemes, comprising the steps of:

(a) having a person, who normally speaks said known audible sounds properly, speak said known audible sounds, and digitizing said known audible sounds spoken by said person who properly speaks said known audible sounds;

(b) having a person who usually speaks said known audible sounds corresponding to mispronunciations and digitizing said known audible sounds spoken by said person who usually speaks said known audible sounds corresponding to mispronunciations presenting a training text to a user for reading into a microphone to send audible sounds in the form of an electrical output to the computing device;

(c) presenting a training text to a user for reading into a microphone to send audible sounds in the form of an electrical output to the computing device;

converting a particular audible sound into a digital representation of said audible sound;

(d) converting a particular audible sound into a digital representation of said audible sound;

(e) comparing said digital representation of said particular audible sound to said digital representations of said known audible sounds to determine which of said known audible sounds is most likely to be the particular audible sound being compared to the sounds in said database;

(f) outputting as a speech recognition output the alphanumeric representation associated with said audible sound most likely to be said particular audible sound;

(g) receiving an error indication from the computing device indicating that there is an error in pronunciation;

(h) determining whether said error is a result of a known type or instance of mispronunciation; and

(i) in response to a determination of error corresponding to a known type or instance of mispronunciation, presenting an interactive training program from said computer to said user to enable said user to correct such mispronunciation.

15. A method of speech training as in claim 14, wherein said presenting an interactive training program from said computer to said user to enable said user to correct such mispronunciation is optional and is performed when elected by the user.

16. A method of speech training as in claim 14, wherein said user is given the option of correcting said digital representations of known audible sounds.

17. A method of speech training as in claim 14, wherein said user is presented with an interactive training program in response to the detection of repeated instances or a reliable single instance of pronunciation error.

18. A method of speech training as in claim 14, wherein said user is presented with an interactive training program in response to the detection of repeated instances or a reliable single instance or pronunciation errors.

23. A method of speech recognition as in claim 14 wherein said database further comprises (i) digital representations of known audible sounds corresponding to proper pronunciations, with various colors, such as various Lessac energies, of phonemes and associated alphanumeric representations of said known audible sounds corresponding to proper pronunciations of phonemes, and further comprising the step of having a person, who normally speaks said known audible sounds properly, speak said known audible sounds with various colors, such as Lessac energies, and digitizing said known audible sounds spoken by said person who properly speaks said known audible sounds.

19. A method of speech training using a microphone to receive audible sounds input by a user into a computing device coupled to said microphone, said computing device having a program with a database comprising (i) digital representations of known audible sounds corresponding to proper pronunciations of phonemes and associated alphanumeric representations of said known audible sounds corresponding to proper pronunciations of phonemes, and (ii) digital representations of known audible sounds corresponding to mispronunciations associated with known mispronounced phonemes, comprising the steps of:

(a) presenting a training text to a user for reading into a microphone to send audible sounds in the form of an electrical output to the computing device;

(b) converting a particular audible sound into a digital representation of said audible sound;

(c) comparing said digital representation of said particular audible sound to said digital representations of said known audible sounds to determine which of said known audible sounds is most likely to be the particular audible sound being compared to the sounds in said database;

(d) outputting as a speech recognition output the alphanumeric representation associated with said audible sound most likely to be said particular audible sound;

(e) receiving an error indication from the computing device indicating that there is an error in pronunciation;

(f) determining whether said error is a result of a known type or instance of mispronunciation; and

(g) in response to a determination of error corresponding to a known type or instance of mispronunciation, presenting an interactive training program from said computer to said user to enable said user to correct such mispronunciation, wherein said interactive program instructs the user using Lessac System techniques.

20. A method of speech training as in claim 19, wherein said user is presented with an interactive training program in response to the detection of repeated instances or a reliable single instance of pronunciation error.

21. A method of speech recognition as in claim 20, wherein said database comprising (i) digital representations of known audible sounds corresponding to proper pronunciations of phonemes and associated alphanumeric representations of said known audible sounds corresponding to proper pronunciations of phonemes and (ii) digital representations of known audible sounds corresponding to mispronunciations is formed by (i) having a person, who normally speaks said known audible sounds properly, speak said known audible sounds, and digitizing said known audible sounds spoken by said person who properly speaks said known audible sounds;

and (ii) having a person who usually speaks said known audible sounds corresponding to mispronunciations and digitizing said known audible sounds spoken by said person who usually speaks said known audible sounds corresponding to mispronunciations.

22. A method of speech recognition as in claim 21, wherein said database comprising (i) digital representations of known audible sounds corresponding to proper pronunciations of phonemes and associated alphanumeric representations of said known audible sounds corresponding to proper pronunciations of phonemes and (ii) digital representations of known audible sounds corresponding to mispronunciations is formed by (i) having a person, who normally speaks said known audible sounds properly, speak said known audible sounds, and digitizing said known audible sounds spoken by said person who properly speaks said known audible sounds;

and (ii) having a person who usually speaks said known audible sounds corresponding to mispronunciations and digitizing said known audible sounds spoken by said person who usually speaks said known audible sounds corresponding to mispronunciations.